Lets look at the top running back contracts:
My opinions:
Henry's contract shows running backs aren't getting 15m per season anymore, but I do think Zeke was running like the group of 12m APY running backs before the PCL. The thing is at every other stage in the last 3 years his production IMO belongs squarely in line with the 6-7m APY category, maybe with a slight premium due to his great blocking and locker room presence.
Looking forward at Zeke's base salary:
- 2022 - 12.4m (guaranteed)
- 2023 - 10.9m
- 2024 - 10.0m
If Zeke runs like he was prior to the PCL in 2021, and remains healthy, he could be kept on his current contract at 10.9m per season. That put his production above his base salary value and with no guaranteed money, the Cowboys have flexibility keeping him. If however he performs like he has looked at every other point in the last 3 years, he should be cut, or at the very least asked to take a pay cut. It's clear the 15m APY was a bad contract but IMO it remains to be seen what the Cowboys should do with him beyond 2023.
- If the Cowboys are content with a Mark Ingram like version from Zeke's game - and think that's warranted of 10m, then it will be as such.
- At the time Zeke re-signed for a bigger contract, at the time, the highest paid RB in NFL,.. i thought he deserved it ,and earned it.
He had led the NFL in rushing
twice prior to re-signing his new contract.
- We drafted ZKE as high as the 4th overall and made him highest paid RB, lead by his splash plays - you can hear McClay's post draft comments
as the reason why we drafted ZKE accordingly.
- Chargers were a poor run defense team, Carolina was one of the several woeful teams we won big over. Philly normally a stout run defense but they
fell back immensely, and Philly ended up being one of woe teams.in our division.
- when i watch Derrick Henry and Nick Chubbs, i'm seeing splash plays; when i'm even seeing Pollard, who is a 213 pound+ RB, his splash play speed/burst in and out
of holes just stands out. With Zeke, OL has to hold their blocks a bit more because he doesn't have suddeness in-out of holes like he used to.
He'll be only age 27, and should not be on the down side of his career- I still maintain that the Garrett regime bulked him up ..and beat him up.
- Now in fairness, it's only so much ZKE-Pollard can do- even the Mark Ingram type RBs, need a viable blocking OL/TE group,
instead of being met,, hit in the backfield on a frequent basis.
take vet minimum lol
